1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, more specifically, to an electrical grounding connector clamped to a support.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,437 discloses an electrical connector having a base member and a movable clamp member to clamp a wire therebetween. A requirement has arisen to properly ground newly designed painted raised floor pedestals which are used in earthquake and other critical applications. These pedestals are used to raise flooring for computer rooms and telecommunications equipment areas, in addition to other applications.
A set number of pedestals per square area is required to be bonded using copper conductor with a range of #6 awg to 2/0 awg. A single conductor, or a combination of two conductors, are attached perpendicularly to the pedestal. Currently these pedestals are being bonded with the use of the Burndy GAR1726 ground clamp connector attached to the bare metal surface, thus enabling an effective electrical connection. The removal of the paint from the pedestals to provide the bare metal surface is time consuming and costly for the installers of these connectors. It was desired to develop a connector that would make such removal of paint unnecessary. This connector would have some means that would penetrate the paint when installed, making a proper connection. The connector must meet all requirements of UL standard 467 Grounding and Bonding Equipment for the intended conductor range. The connector is also required to stand up to the rigors of the extreme conditions of an earthquake and still maintain electrical contact.